Welcome Home To My Heart
by ngc1900
Summary: Jacob receives a phone call from someone in his past.When his world is turned upside down; he must make a difficult decision. Will his chosen path lead him home? Or will he give up on all he holds close to his heart?


_*Authors Note: This is my first attempt at a one-shot, though it is a rather lengthy one. WARNING! This story contains violence and sensitive material. PLEASE REVIEW! My other story has been added to people's favorite lists, but has not gotten one single review. So I would appreciate some love if you enjoyed this story at all. *MAY NEED TISSUES!* Thanks! _

_-ngc1900_

The forest passes by in a blur as Jacob speeds towards his destination. He cannot recall the exact second that he made this decision because it was not a conscious one. Something deep inside of him seemed to rip apart and suddenly nothing else mattered. He just knew…

Jacob could never remember feeling this much anger and rage before in all the years that the wolf had been a part of his existence. The tremors had yet to subside and the heat still burned in a white hot fire along his skin even though he had been phased for an over an hour now. Something was definitely different…_he_ was different. Jacob had always taken great pride in his control over the beast inside of him… but today all control seemed lost. He shuttered to think of the damage he would have caused had he not made it outside the back door in time.

Jacob exploded in a burst of reddish brown fur even as he leapt across the small embankment of the creek. Once his massive paws struck the earth everything else faded away. There was only one thing left to do and he silently prayed that he would get there in time.

The images from earlier flashed in his mind as he drove his body to its brink. It was almost as if he had dreamt the whole d*mn incident. But he knew better. The ground was too solid beneath his feet and the wind screamed in his ears. It is always surprising when your life takes such a drastic turn in an instant. And Jacob's life was no exception. He had been standing in the kitchen contemplating whether or not to eat the last slice of pizza in the fridge when the phone rang. The fridge door closed with a loud thud as he slammed it a little too hard. The yellowed phone on the wall continued to ring; he only answered it to stop the annoying sound that now caused his head to throb painfully. The voice he heard on the other end was like a sucker punch to the gut and all the air left his lungs.

"_Jacob… Are you there?" _

"_The Volturi have taken Bella…"_

The next few sentences the pixie strung together might have been Chinese for all Jacob knew. He struggled to recall any mention of this strange group of vampires, but failed miserably. Instead Jacob's mind conjured up images of _her_ without his consent. It had been so long since he had allowed himself to remember, to even breathe her name. But she was always there in the darkest recesses of his thoughts. And now the demented little pixie was calling because_ she_ was in danger…again. But he was frozen and suddenly deathly afraid.

"_The arrangements have already been made. Please just get to the airport as soon as you can."_

Jacob frantically shook his head to clear his mind and tried to focus on the conversation. "What arrangements are you talking about?" He muttered as he began to pace back and forth in the tiny kitchen.

"_Jacob haven't you been listening? We're in Italy and they've threatened to…"_

Jacob heard a noise he could only assume was a dry wretch or sob come from the other end. He didn't have time for this and he certainly didn't want to think of _her_ anymore. There was a stabbing pain in his chest and his fingers were shaking. "Threatened to what? Just spit it out already!" Jacob was practically yelling and the plastic on the receiver in his hand was beginning to crack with the force of his grip.

"_Aro wanted Edward and me to join the Volturi guard and we refused him. We had no idea that they would use her against us…they've threatened to KILL her Jacob." _

In his mind _she_ was already dead, had been dead for as long as he could remember. And yet not really gone… Jacob had just chosen to think of her that way. And now there was a chance that _she_ would be gone forever; gone as in never to walk this earth again. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop the tide of emotions building inside of him.

"_Please Jacob, We can't lose her. The Volturi are strong and my coven can't fight them alone. We need you… Bella needs you."_

Jacob swallowed past the lump in his throat, desperately searching for the words he wanted to say. He opened his mouth to speak, once, twice and finally on the third try he managed a husky whisper. "Where do I go once I land in Italy?" Seconds later the pixie was talking at warp speed and Jacob listened closely; silently absorbing every word. Once all of the directions had been verified, he hung up the phone with Alice continuing to talk as if he were still there.

Jacob stood in the kitchen and continued to stare out the window at the trees in the distance. There was a war waging inside of him. He wanted to rush to her aid…but a part of him wanted to stay. _She _had chosen this path and abandoned him all those years ago. The loyalties she once held had changed the moment she became one of them. Jacob was no longer a part of the _existence_ she had carved out for herself. But he had been unable to forget, no matter how hard he tried. Even after all the time that has passed his heart still refused to let go. _"Damn it all to hell…"_ he muttered as he realized that he still loved her, had never stopped loving her. "_Until your heart stops beating…"_ Jacob's own words came back to haunt him as his mind finally seemed to grasp the severity of the situation. Before Jacob even realized what was happening, he was already in wolf form and he was flying through the trees faster than he ever had before in his life.

The next few hours passed by in a haze. The airport had been loud and the wait had been long. Jacob found himself sandwiched in between two of the most annoying people ever on the flight to Italy. He slept fitfully, dreaming of her face. One moment she was his Bella, just as beautiful as he remembered and then the next she was a marble statue with horrifying red eyes. Jacob was thankful once the plane finally reached its destination. Alice had instructed him to look for a driver holding a card with his name. The car would bring him all the way to the gates of Volterra. Everything went according to plan.

Two hours later Jacob found himself standing outside two large and very ancient double doors built into a stone wall. He rapped his knuckles once against the metal and waited for a response. But there was none. The door gave easily and he slipped through the opening. It was as if he had taken a step back in time. The entire city spread out before him, nestled into a quaint little valley. Perhaps if he weren't on a life saving mission, he may have taken the time to absorb its beauty. Alice had fulfilled her part of the bargain. The rest was up to him.

Jacob took a deep breath and allowed his mind to quiet. The wolf in his chest growled low and the vibrations shook his body. Within seconds the sweet smell of leech assaulted his senses and he took off running in human form, careful to keep to the shadows. It was much easier than he had anticipated. He found the Volturi lair situated in a large square, complete with bubbling fountains. Definitely the last place he would have expected.

Jacob silently studied the outside of the stone fortress, trying to find the best way inside. _"Jacob…you made it"_ He whirled around to find Alice standing before him in a long black cloak. "Where is she?" Alice let out an impatient sigh. _It won't be that easy…she's locked away in a room underground. I can't see anything because they are clouding my vision." _Jacob's body began to tremble and he clenched his fists tightly to his side in an attempt to quiet his rage.

Suddenly there was a piercing shriek coming from somewhere inside the building behind them; though it was too faint for mortal ears. Alice's hand flew to her mouth in terror as she sped past Jacob in a blur. _"Bella…"_ Alice murmured as she raced along the eerily silent corridors. The sound came again, only much closer this time as they descended into the depths of the underground. Jacob's head snapped up at the sound of the familiar voice at the end of the hallway._ "No, let her go please…she has nothing to do with this. It's me you want. I'll join you. Please just let her go free…" _ Edward was frantically pleading with them to listen to him. Another voice broke the silence with a soft chuckle. _"My dear boy…you know the Volturi do not give second chances. I told you to be absolutely certain of your decision or else you would face the consequences. Life is all about choices, some more important than others; especially for those of us who live forever. I'm sorry it has to end this way…" _

"_EDWARD! Please help…" _ Jacob's heart sped up at the sound of _her_ voice. All of his hopes and his dreams lay on the other side of that door. The alpha in his blood was ripping him apart from the inside out. And Jacob didn't have the strength to fight the alpha's power. _"Jacob…your eyes…" _ Alice muttered in surprise as she stared at him as if she were afraid of him and not what was on the other side. Jacob glanced sideways into a gilded mirror hanging on the wall next to him. The eyes of his wolf stared back at him within his human body. It seemed that his skin was glowing faintly in the dim light bouncing off of the stone walls. _"Jacob what's happening? Why aren't you changing?" _ Alice whispered in confusion. Jacob tore his eyes away from his reflection as another wail filled the air, quickly followed by utter silence. _Bella! NO! "Let me go damn you…" _ Edward howled as the sounds of a struggle ensued from within.

Bella's scream of agony had Jacob sprinting for the door. He flung it from its hinges and tossed it aside as if it were merely a toy. The huge room was circular with what appeared to be thrones situated in the center. Edward was being restrained in the far corner of the room by several vampires. When his topaz eyes locked on Jacob's face; the tension seemed to leave his body. Finally the guards released him and Edward sprinted forward and collapsed on his knees. Jacob turned in the direction of the sound, but closed his eyes at the last second to avoid looking at the scene before him_. _He counted to three and slowly opened his eyes. Nothing in the world could have prepared Jacob for what awaited him in the middle of the room. He was suddenly dizzy and swayed on his feet. This couldn't be possible, he had to be dreaming. The broken form on the stone floor couldn't be who he thought. Jacob swallowed thickly and took two small steps closer to get a better look.

The moment his eyes took in the dark pool of crimson at his feet Jacob felt the rage burst from his lungs in a ferocious inhuman growl. Edward was hovering over the still form beneath him whispering words _she_ could no longer hear. Jacob felt as if he were having an out of body experience. His mind went completely blank and suddenly all he could see was a red haze in his vision. Something inside of him shifted and Jacob was no longer human though his body was that of a man. The alpha was alive and he had only one basic need; to kill… to maim…to destroy the lives of those who had taken his reason for being.

Seconds later Jacob seemed to come back to himself. The silence that followed as he took in the destruction around him was deafening. The wolf had retreated back into its resting place deep within his chest, its eyes ever watchful for the first signs of danger. The corner of Jacob's mouth lifted in a smug smile. Every last vampire in the room had been eradicated and their dismembered parts were now burning away to ash, with the exception of one… And that small speck of white in the corner of his eye brought everything crashing back in a nauseating wave of disbelief. Jacob closed his eyes and sucked in several deep breaths. The air around him suddenly became thick and hard to swallow. The last few moments played out as if in slow motion behind his eye lids. _"It's only a dream. Another nightmare… just open your damn eyes and this will all be over." _Jacob whispered frantically to himself; the words falling from his lips as if it were a silent prayer. He was no longer aware of the passage of time. Jacob would have been content to exist in this dreamlike state forever if it meant that he didn't have to face reality. And as the moments continued to stretch on he began to come to the realization that he was really awake and this wasn't a dream, but a living nightmare.

"_Jacob…"_ The faint sound of his name being called brought him out of his stupor. The velvet voice grated on his already frazzled nerves. Jacob's body shook violently as the tears finally broke through his feeble attempts to remain calm. All of the anger and all of the pain hovered just beneath the surface. _"I'm sorry…"_ The velvet voice spoke again and Jacob felt the last tiny piece of his resolve crack underneath the pressure of his emotions.

"You're sorry? Sorry doesn't even begin to cover it." Jacob whispered in an eerily calm voice as he stalked toward Edward. _"Jacob…no…" _ Alice yelped as she watched him advance toward her brother. But she made no move to stop him. "You did this…you…killed…her." Jacob punctuated each word as he grabbed a fist full of Edwards's shirt and hauled him off of his feet. He snarled and ran forward, using the momentum of his weight to send Edward crashing into the stone wall on the other side of the room. In the blink of an eye Jacob was once again lifting him high into the air. Edward hung there limply, defeat clearly etched onto his face. H e was suspended like a puppet with its strings cut. The sight of him only angered Jacob even more. He shook him roughly trying to invoke some sort of response from the horrible corpse in front of him. "Fight back you f*cking coward…you can't have given up so easily. You promised her…I…promised her that I'd fight for her until her heart stopped beating. If you won't fight me, then at least put me out of my misery…" Jacob no longer had the strength to continue. He longed for death, anything to take away this emptiness without her. He released his grip and Edward fell to the floor in a heap at his feet. The sobs finally overcame Jacob and he turned his back on Edward. The only thing that mattered now was Bella.

Jacob slowly made his way toward the lifeless body in the middle of the room. He stared down at his reason for living; the tears flowing freely along his russet skin. Bella had remained human…and he had never even known it. Had she really thought so little of their relationship? How could she have let him believe such a horrible lie all of these years? Everything he had ever loved or cared about in his world was now gone forever. Jacob suddenly thought of all of the other people in her life that would suffer the agonizing pain of her loss; Charlie, Renee, Billy, the rest of the pack. Bella had been loved by so many people throughout her life that Jacob had a hard time fathoming how they would all survive without her. She looked peaceful, almost as if she were sleeping. Jacob wanted so badly to pretend that she would awaken at any moment wondering why he was standing there staring at her like a zombie. Jacob chuckled hysterically as he remembered that Bella hated zombies. He felt his sanity slowly begin to slip away. Jacob took another deep breath and tried to steady his racing heart.

Jacob knelt down next to her, leaning over to brush the hair out of her face. He wanted to say goodbye, but somehow that felt wrong. This wasn't the end for them. Deep down Jacob had always believed that Bella was his soul mate; the other half of his being. She was still and always would be a part of him; his mind, body and most importantly his soul. It was a bond so strong that not even death could truly separate them.

He leaned down and gently brushed his lips across hers, the faint chill against his warm mouth causing him to shiver. "See you soon Bells…I love you." Jacob murmured sweetly as he climbed to his feet. He took one last look at Edward and Alice as they stood huddled together forlornly in the corner of the room watching him with silent remorse. As Jacob left behind the love of his life he vaguely wondered what had stopped him from killing Edward only moments ago. Jacob smiled through his tears as the realization washed over him in waves. While Jacob had to endure the rest of his mortal life without Bella, they would one day be reunited. Edward would be forced to live every single night of his miserable existence with the guilt and the pain of her death; for he could never truly be free; because unlike Jacob, Edward did not possess a soul.

Jacob walked through the deserted halls lost in thoughts of _her_. He rounded the last corner and could see the doorway up a head still open to the early morning light. Jacob's body moved on autopilot, completely oblivious to the world around him. Suddenly there was a flash of white hot light and he felt himself falling. When he awoke he found himself standing on the shores of first beach with the sunshine blazing down. The sky was a brilliant blue and every grain of sand seemed to sparkle. Jacob stared around him in wonder. Why had he never noticed the raw beauty of this place before? In the distance a figure was fast approaching. A grin stretched his face impossibly wide. _"Jacob!" _Bella called as she ran toward him with a beautiful smile on her face. "Bells..." Jacob cried out as his arm encircled her and he spun her around. When he righted her again, Bella reached down and took his hand in her own. There were so many things Jacob wanted to say. So many questions he wanted to ask. But he found it difficult to speak as the happiness overwhelmed him. _"Welcome home Jake, welcome home." _Bella's words caused his heart to swell even more and Jacob never wanted this moment to end. For the first time in a long time Jacob felt a peace settle over him. He was finally home, exactly where he was meant to be…


End file.
